This week we took 5 minutes to speak to Paul Jackson. Paul has recently taken on the reigns of the Weekly Review for the UCL and also does a similar role with Cogenhoe United FC.

UCL: What first got you involved in writing Match Reports in the UCL?Paul: I’d been watching Northampton Spencer’s midweek games for many years and always considered them to be my local team. I’d been putting action pictures and a bit of a write up on my Facebook page and after a conversation with Andy Goldsmith I mentioned the fact that Spencer hadn’t had a website for a few years and offered to do it for them. All took off from there really.

UCL:What enticed you to get involved in Cogenhoe at the start of this season?Paul: It was the start of last season I went to Cogenhoe. I made a lot of friends at Spencer and when Tom Chapman took the reins at Compton Park, he took the squad with him. I went to watch their first friendly at Hook Norton and it didn’t take much persuading from Chappers to follow them up Brafield Road. I’ve been to Cogenhoe many times over the years and although it’s always cold, they are a great club run by a fantastic bunch of people and made me feel extremely welcome.

UCL:With a season full of entertain, what’s your highlight of the season so far?Paul: For me it would have to be the Cooks F.A Vase run. The wins at Histon and Great Wakering Rovers were superb results for the team and the 4-4 draw at London Colney was the most entertaining 90 minutes so far. Our 4-0 win at then fourth placed Harborough Town was perhaps our best performance.

I think that Jake Stone taking over at a very difficult time for the club and the success of young reserve players such as George Barnell and Harry Chipchase, who have made the step into Premier Division football this season, is a real plus for me. I love football and win or lose, they are all highlights in one way or another.

UCL:How far are you looking at taking your Reports? Is this something you wish to pursue further, or you happy to continue as side project?Paul: Somehow I can’t see myself being snapped up by the National press, but I enjoy what I’m doing. Football has given me a lot over the years so in a way I’m giving something back. The local paper in Northampton isn’t really interested in football at UCL level which I think is a real shame, so any publicity I can get it has to be a bonus. On-line is the future for promoting football below the top leagues and I would rather watch a Division One game on a Wednesday night than the Champions League on TV. Real people playing for the love of the game watched by a small bunch of supporters, that is what it is all about. I would like to do some reports (although not as detailed as my Cooks ones) on other UCL games when my team aren’t playing in the future. A sort of taller, slimmer Jeremy Biggs.

UCL: You’ve mentioned to me in the past your friendship with Jeremy Biggs as well as being the taller version above. How much did he inspire you to get involved and did how much support and assistance did you give you in your early days of report writing?Paul: I always had the utmost respect for Jeremy and everything he did for the UCL. When he read my first match report on the Spencer website, he was full of praise. I was really proud when he old me he thought it was a credit to the league and looked forward to reading my updates. Big praise coming from the man himself.

I also remember meeting him at ON Chenecks the day after we’d been beaten 7-0 at Newport Pagnell Town and probing me as to why my report was later than usual going on.